Mayo GAA Discussion

Carlow vs Laois which was due to take place this evening is being postponed due to the pitch in Stradbally being waterlogged. I recall the Mayo Galway game in Jan 2018 being called off late in the day due to a Frozen pitch and lots of folks being up in arms about that too. The same day the Leitrim Sligo game was postponed and had to be played at a later date.

As regards Ballyhaunis and Ballinlough not being suitable, that was before the ability to stream games which the Connacht Council can now do.

Certainly having the games outdoors would allow more people but the general rule is that if the competition has one game indoors then all games must be indoors, so it's either play them all in the dome or run the risk of some potentially being postponed as had been encountered in previous years.

I'd have Boland ahead of either wing forwards named for today

As a Gaa person from outside Mayo I cannot say I have ever really noticed him as a player. I never remember him playing in the business end of champions.

He is 27 at present so I presume 28 sometime this year, he is not a championship players or serious sub that you bring in its unlikely he ever will. McStay has to look at this long term. As it is he has a number of serious older players. His is a 3-4 year project he needs to look at. Good players 30 and over that he has are unlikely to be starters in 3 years time. It's similar with 26-30 year old that are not starting at present in championship.

It's was one of the reasons Kerry football took so long to recover. Fitzmaurice refused to start integrating 22-23 year old into the squad from 2016 on. After winning the 2017 Alliance Football league in which a number of young players played significant roles Fitzmaurice reverted to type and bought back in older players in there 30's which set is back and similar in 2018

While you do not want to throw the baby out with the bath water and need to remain competitive to stay in D1 of the league you need to look at where you will be in three years time

You could make the same case for Tony Brian and Jack Savage with Kerry. They had good league campaigns but they seem to lack something when you get out to the tighter games of championship.

Being a manager is not a nice job. You have to have a certain amount of ruthlessness. When a player has limitations no matter how honest in endeavour he is how hard he works you have to be willing to cut him from a panel. It's not nice I have being involved at club level and it not something I like doing but if you want to achieve winning targets you have to do it.

You have only so many places on a panel and decisions have to be made. It's a bit easier at club level as you are not as strictly tied to naming substitutes or match day 26's like at county level and generally you do not need to cut from a panel

He was becoming a regular until that qualifier game against Derry where they hit him on practically every kickouts. He lacks a bit of physicality but he has more skill and a better eye for a score than a lot of our half forwards

Like ye say, happy enough to trust the manager although I wouldn't personally agree with it. I hope he doesn't become the new Richie Feeney

Yeah, fair point. Would be nice to see a few scores coming from the HF line this year